Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Team GB about reconsidering participation in the 2022 Winter Olympic games in Beijing.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Although the Government does not support sporting boycotts, athlete participation in the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games is a decision for the British Olympic and British Paralympic Associations, who operate independently of the Government.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for an outbreak of civil violence in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK takes talk of secession, and other threats to undo the progress of the last twenty-six years in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) very seriously. We have called on those responsible to cease this destabilising and divisive rhetoric. As a UN Security Council and Peace Implementation Council Steering Board member, the UK is committed to upholding the Dayton Agreement in BiH. The UK, along with our allies, is offering visible and practical support to BiH's territorial integrity, and to maintain the EU military mission (EUFOR) and the Office of the High Representative in BiH. We will continue to help the people of BiH in building a better future in a stable and prosperous State with strong, functioning institutions. Ultimately, the authorities in BiH themselves must make necessary reforms for the good of all citizens, and we call on them to meet their obligations to those who elected them.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the spread of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine; and what plans they have to ensure that there is public confidence in vaccinations in the future.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department is working closely with Public Health England and NHS England and NHS Improvement to provide authoritative information to the public and urge everyone to seek National Health Service advice, so they have the right information to make an informed choice about getting vaccinated. We are also working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to help social media platforms identify and act against incorrect claims about the virus in line with their terms and conditions. This includes anti-vaccination narratives that could endanger people’s health.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that any elections scheduled for May can take place; and what steps they are taking to ensure that any such elections can take place in line with the restrictions to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Primary legislation states that the elections will go ahead in May 2021.
We continue to work closely with the electoral and public health bodies to resolve challenges and ensure everyone will be able to cast their vote safely and securely - and in a way of their choosing.
The Government is also bringing forward additional measures to extend the ability to appoint a proxy, so that those that are affected by Covid-19 in the days before the poll are still able to make their voice heard.
Guidance will be published in good time ahead of the polls and this matter will be kept under review. The House will be kept updated.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for prioritising the digitalisation of small and medium enterprises to support the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of digitalisation amongst small and medium enterprises, and has a number of programmes which support this. Within BEIS, the Small Business Leadership Programme and Peer-to-Peer networks promote the acquisition of digital skills, whilst the Business Basics programme has provided valuable insights and evidence as to both the practical barriers and opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. The Made Smarter pilot scheme in the North West has supported manufacturing companies to adopt new Industry 4.0 technologies, both through matched grant funding and independent, expert advice.
Further initiatives focussed on digitalisation are led or supported by other government departments. These include Digital Boost, a platform which matches organisations with digital experts offering free advice, supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In addition, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced £20m in July 2020 to help small and medium-sized businesses acquire new technology and seek advice on digital adoption in order to continue or diversify their business activities in light of the pandemic. This is provided through grants of between £1000 and £5000, and is fully funded by the Government with no obligation for businesses themselves to contribute financially.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of online learning; and what plans they have to incorporate any such benefits into education provision when schools reopen.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Technology in education has been essential for continuing to teach remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent school and college closures. In the long term, it also has the potential to support teacher workload reductions, flexible working, cost savings, inclusive teaching practice and improved pupil outcomes.
A number of programmes which have been in place across the COVID-19 outbreak are providing valuable intelligence as to the most impactful uses of online learning.
The EdTech Demonstrator programme, which supports schools and colleges to use technology to strengthen remote education arrangements and secure a longer-term strategy, will provide an important evaluation on the extent to which this sector-led approach can impact on the positive use of technology and help other institutions address a broad range of challenges they face both now and in the future.
The department’s digital platforms offer allows schools to provide remote online teaching, as well as develop approaches for the longer term.
In addition, Ofsted conducted monitoring visits to schools in the Autumn Term, looking at remote education practice, and publishing a guide to what works well: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-publishes-short-guide-to-what-works-well-in-remote-education.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to record and certify vaccinations given to UK nationals abroad.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are no plans to record vaccinations given to UK nationals abroad.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many licences were granted by the Export Licensing Unit for the exportation of (1) art, (2) antiques, and (3) cultural goods, in each year between 2015 and 2020.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The number of export licences granted by the Art Council’s Export Licensing Unit in a particular year is published and laid before Parliament in the annual report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee’s Report for 2018-19 is expected to be published shortly. Figures for 2019-20 are not yet available. The earlier reports can be found here, and are attached:
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-collections-and-cultural-property/rcewa-annual-reports
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have provided to British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies during the COVID-19 pandemic; and whether this support will extend to the provision of vaccinations when trials are concluded.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK Government has undertaken a major operation to support the Overseas Territories (OTs) in dealing with COVID-19. Support has been sent to all of the inhabited OTs with the exception of Pitcairn. UK support has enabled seven OTs to start testing for the virus and the others to continue testing when supply routes were cut. Supplies of PPE were sent to ensure no OT ran out. Medical equipment was sent to ensure hospitals could cope when each island was cut off from their usual medical evacuation routes by providing field hospital equipment, medicines, ventilators, CPAPS and other equipment. Expert support was provided in the form of advice from PHE, deployments of medical staff and a remote telemedicine service providing OT clinicians with remote access to clinical advice in the treatment of COVID-19 and other critical conditions. Military teams were deployed to the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands to support with logistics and border security. Flights were arranged by the FCDO to repatriate British nationals to and from the OTs. Emergency budgetary support has been provided to Montserrat, St Helena and Anguilla to keep essential public services running and ensure these OTs can respond to the impacts of the pandemic.
The UK Government has worked closely with the governments of the Crown Dependencies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Crown Dependencies are responsible for their own emergency planning, response and recovery, the UK has engaged at working and political level with these jurisdictions to support their own efforts to combat COVID-19 and mitigate against its spread on the islands. This has included ensuring that the Crown Dependencies can access UK supply chains for key medicines and medical devices, including PPE and ventilators. The UK will maintain this engagement over the coming months to ensure that the UK can continue to offer support to Crown Dependency governments.
Through the Vaccine Task Force, the UK Government is procuring vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and OTs, and is working with them to ensure the smooth deployment of a COVID-19 vaccine once a safe and effective one is available.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to award greater powers and responsibilities to Police and Crime Commissioners, including powers which would grant them authority within the criminal justice system.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
On 22 July, the Government announced a two-part review into the role of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). Part-one of the review, which is internal, is underway and focused on strengthening the accountability of PCCs in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment.
Part-two of the review will commence after the PCC elections in May 2021. It will focus on longer-term reforms to the governance model, including the role PCCs play in tackling reoffending to help reduce crime.